Chapter 192: A Hooded Drow in the Mirror Dimension

The corridor of the mirror dimension finally stabilized.

The walls stopped rotating.

The ceiling became the ceiling again.

And the floor became the floor once more.

For a few seconds, the four of them remained still, carefully observing their surroundings.

The remains of the android were still scattered across the corridor.

The caveman remained far away, imprisoned in that room.

And the silence had become unsettling.

Seraphine slowly closed her grimoire.

"I really don’t like this."

Max crossed his arms.

"What do you think?"

The mage looked down the hallways stretching off in different directions.

"To manipulate a mirror dimension, you have to be inside it."

Dorian raised an eyebrow.

"You can’t do it from the outside?"

"No."

Seraphine shook her head.

"At least not with a dimension this large."

Max immediately understood.

"Then whoever’s doing all of this is still here."

"Exactly."

Don swallowed nervously.

The mage tucked her grimoire back onto her belt.

"We need to find them."

Max nodded.

"I agree."

Dorian nodded as well.

"Before they try to kill us again."

Don raised a hand.

"I’d like to make a request."

Everyone looked at him.

The faun pointed at Seraphine.

"I’d prefer to go with her."

The mage let out a small laugh.

"Do you trust them that little?"

Don looked at Max.

Then at Dorian.

"Yes."

Max looked offended.

"How cruel."

"It’s the truth."

Dorian shrugged.

"I can’t really argue with that."

Seraphine ended up laughing.

"All right."

Then she pointed down both corridors.

"We’ll split into two groups."

Max already knew what was coming.

"Dorian with me."

"Perfect."

"I’ll go with Don."

The butler smiled with relief.

"Excellent decision."

And before anyone could respond...

He jumped.

And climbed directly onto the mage’s back.

Seraphine froze.

Max blinked.

So did Dorian.

Don adjusted himself as if this were the most normal thing in the world.

"Much better."

The mage finally laughed.

"All right, all right."

Then she raised a finger.

"But if you touch somewhere you shouldn’t..."

Don stiffened immediately.

"Yes?"

"Arwen is going to hear about it."

The faun turned pale.

"I won’t move a single hand."

"That’s what I thought."

Max and Dorian burst out laughing.

"See you later."

"Try not to die."

"Same to you."

Without wasting another second, the two groups split up.

***

Max and Dorian started running down the left corridor.

It was the same route they had taken earlier.

Their footsteps echoed through the empty halls of the mirror dimension.

Everything was still unnaturally clean.

As if someone actually lived here.

Dorian kept one hand ready to cast magic.

"We need to stay alert."

Max nodded.

"In case another caveman shows up."

"Or another android."

"That too."

Max clenched his jaw.

"My Countercharge Shield has already used up its effect."

Dorian glanced at him.

"Then we’re vulnerable now."

Max was about to answer when something caught his attention.

A silhouette.

At the far end of the corridor.

A hooded figure.

Running.

Turning a corner.

Max’s eyes widened.

"There!"

Dorian immediately turned.

He saw it too.

The figure disappeared down another hallway.

It was too fast.

But there was something familiar about it.

Its height.

Its build.

"Did you see it?"

"Yes."

"I couldn’t tell who it was."

Dorian frowned.

"But it had the same silhouette as the drow sisters."

Max accelerated.

"Stop!"

His voice echoed throughout the corridor.

"Stop right there!"

The figure didn’t respond.

It simply kept running.

Max and Dorian rounded the corner.

And immediately encountered another problem.

Furniture had been thrown everywhere.

Blocking the path.

"What the hell?"

"This wasn’t like this before."

The two of them began weaving through the obstacles.

Jumping.

Running.

Sliding between pieces of furniture.

As they advanced, something caught Max’s eye.

A small object glinting on the floor.

He picked it up.

It was a pair of round glasses.

Or what was left of them.

They were broken.

One of the arms had snapped off.

The lens was cracked.

Dorian stepped closer.

"What did you find?"

Max held up the glasses.

"These."

Both of them stared at them.

Then Max spoke.

"I’m pretty sure they belong to one of them."

Dorian nodded.

"So am I."

"But which one?"

The elf thought for a moment.

Max pointed at him.

"Come on."

"What?"

"You spend all your time staring at women."

Dorian smiled proudly.

"It’s a skill."

"Then think."

Max showed him the glasses.

"Vesper or Thara?"

Dorian examined the lenses.

He thought about it.

For a long time.

Finally, he answered.

"To be honest..."

Max already suspected the response.

"...I never really managed to look either of them in the eyes."

Max closed his eyes.

"Of course."

"There were many other things worth looking at."

"You shameless creep."

Dorian grinned.

"Thank you."

"That wasn’t a compliment."

"I know."

They continued forward.

And then—

BOOOOOOM.

An explosion echoed behind them.

Far away.

But strong enough to make the walls vibrate.

Max and Dorian stopped.

They looked back.

The sound had come from the corridor they had traveled through earlier.

Dorian frowned.

"I don’t like that."

Neither did Max.

But he shook his head.

"Trust."

"In who?"

"In Seraphine."

Dorian let out a small laugh.

"That’s true."

"If anyone can survive anything..."

"It’s her."

Max started running again.

"Besides."

"Yes?"

"We can’t let that drow get away."

Dorian nodded.

"Agreed."

They kept moving.

The hooded figure was no longer in sight.

But something told them it was still nearby.

Then Dorian reached into a small pouch hanging from his belt.

He pulled out a glass jar.

Max raised an eyebrow.

"What’s that?"

Dorian smiled.

"A brilliant plan."

He uncorked the jar.

Several tiny green spiders began crawling out.

They were miniature creatures.

They looked as if they were made of moss.

With little legs covered in leaves.

Max’s eyes widened.

"Moss spiders?"

"Exactly. They’re my little friends."

The creatures began crawling up Dorian’s arm.

"That’s actually a great plan."

The elf smiled proudly.

"I know."

"Did you raise them yourself?"

"Of course."

Dorian looked at the tiny creatures.

"It’s always good to bring them along on an adventure."

Max laughed.

"You get stranger every day."

"I’ll take that as a compliment."

The spiders settled onto the floor.

Waiting for instructions.

Dorian raised both hands.

A soft green glow appeared around them.

Support magic.

The energy wrapped around the tiny creatures.

And their legs began moving much faster.

"Perfect."

Max smiled.

"Now we’re talking."

Dorian pointed ahead.

"Find her."

The moss spiders shot forward.

Like tiny green arrows.

They vanished down the corridor.

Following exactly the same route the hooded figure had taken.

Max and Dorian exchanged a glance.

Both smiled.

"I think we just found our trail."

"And this time..."

Dorian started running after the spiders.

"I don’t think she’ll be able to escape."

But neither of them noticed that, far above them, hidden among the shadows of the mirror dimension’s ceiling...

A hooded figure was watching them in complete silence.

And a smile slowly began to form beneath her hood.